Results of my first inkjet fade test back in 2000 were fairly alarming for anyone using independent inks. Fade Test 2000 So, how good are results now - in the real world, without the constant temperature, humidity and light levels used in the manufacturers tests? Their tests, while perfectly valid, use a best case scenario of prints made with their inks on their paper and stored in albums or displayed in ideal conditions. What happens if you use another manufacturers ink or paper? What if conditions aren’t ideal? How do the results compare? That’s what these tests are about.

I start by printing the same composite image, with each printer on a range of manufacturers own papers, and on independent photo papers. Then I tape one half of each sheet inside a window where they’ll be in direct sunshine. The other half of each sheet is stored in a folder, in a dry, dark cupboard. After three months I compare the two halves.